Molalla River School District Bond Program Molalla, Oregon

With a focus on facility operations and student spaces, a successful $95 million bond for Molalla River School District led to its first new building in decades. The replacement middle school was sustainably designed and developed with guidance from Otak as owner’s representative where efficiencies in project management turned $5 million of savings into additional improvements.

Optimizing Funds for a District’s First New School in Decades

The 115,000-square-foot replacement Molalla Middle School not only modernized nearly 100-year-old MEP systems but also optimized spaces for a full spectrum of student activity. Accentuated by an abundance of natural light within a 97% wood structure using locally sourced materials, the design placed a priority on supporting a variety of career technical education (CTE) programs. From a CCTV studio with video production to automotive mechanic shops, these programs fast track students in their chosen career path. New music rooms and 200-seat-capacity theater support performing arts while new studios for visual arts include rollup doorways for truck access in moving large materials and seamless integration with an outdoor courtyard. The broader outdoor grounds add grass and turf playing surfaces which are combined with new indoor courts and fitness facilities to support athletics programs. Extending impact beyond the school’s borders, roadway improvements and the addition of sidewalks were made to improve traffic calming and promote safe routes to schools.